Friday, December 20, 2013

Meadham Kirchhoff Fall 2013

Edward Meadham and Benjamin Kirchhoff strike again with a series of bold and creepy uniforms in monochrome. I like to think of it as the Grady Twins meets Courtney Love crossed with businesswoman flair and a little bit of maid's uniform magic. The shoes were a glitzy excuse to deliver silver/ golden patent leather goodness, which were the precursor for Marie Antoinette heels and equally thoughtful knee high socks and stockings. One day, no matter how long I WILL OWN MEADHAM KIRCHHOFF SHOES! Anyway- the show opened to the tune of squeaking caused by the legs of either PVC of patent leather pants delightfully rubbing together but drowned out by creepy electronic basement-beats and illuminated by flashes from front-row onlookers and the paparazzi gallery. Punctuated ruffles decorated hemlines and created weird and wonderful twenty-first century bloomers worn with chic French inspired coats and boucle jackets, and we're only at the beginning.

The reoccurring theme of ornate bridal veils as well as tacky, 1970s-inspired woolen cardigans really reminded me of the Hole anthem, 'Doll Parts', and how reminiscent Meadham Kirchhoff collections are of playing dress ups and the mentality that clothing can be something fun and expressive. Their collections have always had that air of mystery, unbridled enthusiasm and magical sparkly touches that made them so appealing to the teenage/ young adult demographic to which I belong to but these motifs were muted for Fall, bottled and restrained and instead applied to practical coats and matching skirt suits. Speaking of playing dress ups, other designers and labels have payed tribute to the 1995 chick-flick, 'Clueless' recreating matching plaid skirts and blazers with berets and high heels, but Meadham Kirchhoff's incarnation may be one of my favorites.

If the fashion world inhabited a red light district I would like to imagine a small corner brightened by neon signs reading "Frills! Frills! Frills!"- one of the defining features of the Fall 2013 collection as exemplified by the above ruffled coat. Before I mentioned the matching monochrome crocheted coat and it may sound like I didn't like it? Generally when I mention something, no matter what my use of adjectives may be I generally like the piece, and I think it's exciting that someone has made a matching pill box hat with squiggly, David Lynch-aesthetically driven stripes as suggested by red nail polish echoing Twin Peaks favorite bad girl Audrey Horne. But no matter how hard I try, to matter where I thrift shop to find something similar I know deep down anything I find will not hold a candle to this outfit, this look and vision of creative geniuses Edward Meadham and Benjamin Kirchhoff.

In comparison to accessories of season's past there were noticeably less sparkly pom poms and a few simple tiaras but I can forgive this misdemeanor since the few crowns featured for Fall had diamond emblazoned unicorns united under a heart. I think we should all agree that this be the pseudo-Latin family crest thing of every girl gang, can we agree to that? My favourite looks of the season included double-breasted, heart-shaped aprons, sheer Stevie Nicks gowns and baby doll bib collars. If I were ever disciplined enough to aesthetically devote myself to a single looks and I had the funds to back up the crazy plan, this would possibly be it. I would be driven to near-madness without any colour in my life but these dresses are both dramatic and romantic. They announce their presence in a room without any words but by sharp symbolism, in the same way a shark strikes terror into the heart of any nearby creature with its lifeless, glassy dolls eye. But the collection shows that it's possible to have the bitch-faced glory and intimidation of a shark while looking cute at the same time.

The introduction of cream seemed like the most logical progression from the stark contrast of black and white, made all the more powerful by red lips and matching nail polish. Usually when I see cream and red together it brings up connotations of large fur coats, actresses and old-school Hollywood glamor but Meadham Kirchhoff have been able to create a whole new school of thought that seems to narrate the story of an inherently tragic female protagonist. I think when you can easily attach some sort of fictional story or idea to clothing, the designer has achieved something incredible in that they have been able to instill some sort of creativity in you and you connect with their creations with a profound telepathic link. That connection is everything I dreamed of and more when I grew up watching Japanese anime series, played Pokemon on Gameboy and felt like I was receiving a special message from the universe.

It's almost a crime that it took me so long to write about and discuss Meadham Kirchhoff's Fall 2013 collection but the clothes I am most passionate about are timeless in the sense that I still imagine what it would be liked to wear them, no matter how much time has passed since they were unveiled to the world. This is also an advantage when buying bulky second-hand copies of Vogue and Harper's Bazaar from Savers for 99c for visual journal material. If I could have access to a better printed I am sure there would be several fangirl tribute pages to each Meadham Kirchhoff collections, undoubtedly one of my favourite designers supplying a sparkly sense of imagination and creativity to every collection they weave but it feels better to curate their images here, on my blog. Now if you'll excuse me, I have black and white crochet collars and ponchos to find, and pipe cleaner crowns to make.